Jabra Elite 85t

The Jabra Elite 85t earbuds are a frustrating mis-step from a company that doesn’t usually make them. On paper these have had a spec boost and added ANC, but none of that counts for much when the physical design lets the audio quality down so badly, letting in so much noise that the ANC is near-pointless.

With the Elite 85t, Jabra brings ANC to its wireless range of earbuds. While they summon up effective performance both in terms of sound and noise-cancellation, there are better-performing options available.

Equipped with powerful specs and impressive ANC, the Jabra Elite 85t is a stellar-sounding sequel in Jabra’s critically beloved series.

Overall, I think the Elite 85t earbuds are Jabra’s best earbuds yet: the noise cancellation is quite good, they deliver rich audio quality, and you can use them with two devices at once. But there are a lot of people who will be better off saving money and just going for the Elite 75ts.

With the Elite 85t, Jabra finally has a flagship-quality set of true wireless earbuds with effective ANC. The sound quality is good, but not great, and there’s room for improvement in the overall experience. Once the company fixes those minor issues, it will have its most complete package to date.

The Jabra Elite 85h undercuts the competition with its sub-$250 price and similar noise cancelling performance. If you want premium headphones with great battery life and a water-resistant nano-coating, the Elite 85h is your best bet.